Xylophone



March 9 1926. 1,575,960

w. BARTHOLOMAE XYLOPHONE Filed Feb. 8, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet l WITNESSES INVENTOR I f WzwanzSaez-uozams ATTORNEYS 1,575,960 w BARTHOLOMAI 1 Mgich 9 1926.-'

Patented Mar. 9, 1926.

"UNITED-STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM 'BARTHoLoniAn, or BROQKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO BAR-Z11! TOY MFG. .00., 1110.,101 new YORK, n. 1., A conrona'rxon or new Yonx. f

XYLOPHONE. 1

Application filed February 8, 192a Serial No. 617,832.

To all whom it may concern:

MAE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a I resident of the cityofNew York, borough -6 of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and- State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Xylophone, of which the following isa full, clear, and exact description.

' This invention relates to musical instrumentsfland particularly to xylophones and hasfor an object to provide an improved instrument wherein sounding members are suspendedin a desired order by a comparatively straight single suspending member near each .15 end. i v P Anotherobject of the invention is'to provide a Xylophone in which suspended soundv ing members are provided'a'nd arranged in a body bent from-asingle blank.

A- further object is to provide a Xylophone having suspended sounding members formed with interlocking projecting supports adapted to interlock with flexible suspending ele- 'ments. A'still further object of the invention is to provide axylophone'with a body-formed either 'of wood 'or metal wherein longitudinally arranged suspending cords are provided and sounding members are connected v30, thereto by pressed out supports carried by the sounding members.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of a complete Xylophone disclosing, an, embodiment of the invention. I I

Figure 2 is a sectional view throughFigure 1 approximately on line 22. "Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view through Figure 1 on line 33. Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing one end of a sounding member to-' gether with part of the supporting base or frame and associated parts.

- Figure 5 is a blank from which the'frame or base shown in Figure 1 is formed.

Figure 6 is a perspective view similar to Figure 1 but showing the invention as applied to a base or frame formed of wood.

Figure 7 is a sectional view through Fig ure. 6 approximately online 7-7.

" Figure 8 is a sectional ,view through Figure 7 on line 8 8.

Figure 9 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view through a sounding member disside cords or ligaments 17 and 18'. these flexible suspension elements have been closing a slightly modified construction to that illustrated in Figure 1.

Referring to the accompanying drawings by numeral, 1 indicates a blank provided with a central section 2 which may be termed the-bottom and with side sections 3 and la-acting as longitudinal walls when the arts are formed into operative position as s own in Figure 1. End sections 5 and 6 extend from the bottom 2, said end sections forming end walls when bent up to proper position, said end sections each being provided with the bendable tab 8 on the side walls so that when the various parts are bent to the position shown in Figure 1, these tabs may be bent to lock the sides and ends together, Preferably, inthe bending of the side sec.

tions 3 and 4, said side sections are not only bent along the lines 9 and 10 but also along the lines 11 and 12 for presenting side flanges 13 and 14 on which letters may be mounted or in which the letters may be formed if preferred as illustrated in Figure 6.

In forming the blankl, a number of aper turesor windows. 15 are provided and .between these apertures are arranged pressed out supporting fingers 16 which receivX the fter ' are so arranged thatthe cords or other suspension elements will extend across the aper' tures 15. These apertures are designed to accommodate the various sounding members 19 which are shown as semi-tubular members though tubular or even flat sounding members might be used. I

In forming thesounding members 19, a pressed out supporting member 20 is provided near each end, said supporting members being in the, form of tongues or hooks and facing in opposite directions (Figure 2) and of such a distance apart as to he slipped or hooked over the suspension elements as shown in Figure l and act to support the sounding members on the suspension elea plurality of bendable tabs 7 co-acting with i ments It will .be noted that the device tapers-fromone end to the other and the Y sounding members are madeshorter toward the smaller end. The supporting members 20 mustlof course, be made'proportionally near togeth'eiiforthe short sounding members. After the sounding members have been arranged as shown in Figure ,1, the device is ready for use-and may be operated by striking the sounding members 111 the desired sequence by a wood hammer or some other instrument.

In Figures 6 to 8 inclusive, will be seen a modified'constructwn wherein the base or 327. which may be of the same shape as aper- I ture or some other'desired shape, asfor commodate the sounding-members 19; which.

sounding members, are of the sameconstrue-f,

instance, round, provided they can freely action. as those. illustrated injFi'gures 1 and 2f 1 It will benoted .that'the various sections- 28, between theiaperturesf-2 7. act similar to the supporting fingers, 16 to support the suspensionelement 23 intermediate its ends.

f In this formjof the invention a U-shaped bracing and clamping strip 29 is provided which straddles the respective side members 25 ando26 for not only covering the slots 22 but for reinforcing these side members and at the'sametime presenting a plate in which the various letters 30. .m ay be formed;

:which letters are merely ,pressed up or embossed' from'the metal.

- IniFigure-9 'a modified form of sounding I member 19 is provided, which modification cons'istsffin" providing a closed supporting loop 20'- instead-of an vopenfloop or hook 20 as shown 'in' Figure 41. In case this form ofthe' invention is used, it will be necessary to pass and threadthe ligament through the various supports 20 after the sounding I members 19'- have been arranged in the apertures of the side Walls.

\Vhat I claim is 1. A xylophone including a frame having metallic aperturedside members provided with integral cord holding means bent from said side members adjacent said apertures, suspension cords extending along said side members and supported and held by said cord! holding means, and vibratile members extending between said sides and through said apertures engaged with and held by said suspension cords. j j I 2. A Xylophone including a frame having apertured sides and cord holding means alongsaid sides, suspension cords supported by said means along the sides and across said apertures, and vibratile members of metal extending through said apertures beneath the suspension cords and havin 0 integral mean .t I m d Q s azv t 'ds.

. 1n 1a: sxyloph onqi a member '15 t nsve1tsely.'bent" elongated I e r pving, along its centralline and-adjacent to its opposite"endsintegral hooks for the purpose described...

.' 4. A Xylophone including a-frame having a pair of side. members,. a substantially. "straight suspension cord supported by each of said side members, and resonant bars extending from one side member to the :other, each bar having spaced means engzgageing said cords to hold the said members s'uspended'helow the cords '5. A Xylophone. having mn'in'a-"a r f. .tured sides provided with integral out- 'wardly extending hook 'members' between the several apertures receiving and clasping suspension cords, substantially straight sus pension cords, extending along said sides and across said apertures and engaged and held by said hook membersgind vibratile members extending through said apertures; andhav ing means engaging Saidco'rds to-hold the:

said members suspended below-the cords. 4

6. A 'xylophone, comprising apairiofend members, a pair of ,identioallyoonstructed side members connected'to said end members, each of said side members beingformed with a bent portion presenting a groove and with a" plurality of apertures, vibratil'e members extending through said apertures,

and supporting the vibratile'mem- WILLIAM BARTHOLOMAE.

and a string positioned in each groove forfreceiving and supporting groove. 

